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de facto

American  
[dee fak-toh, dey] / di ˈfæk toʊ, deɪ /

adverb

  1. in fact; in reality: They are forbidden from leaving the camp, thereby being de facto in a state of detention.

    Although his title was prime minister, he was de facto president of the country.

    They are forbidden from leaving the camp, thereby being de facto in a state of detention.

  2. actually existing, especially when without lawful authority (de jure ).

    He led efforts to reduce de facto segregation in the city's public schools.

noun

  1. Australia. a person who lives with someone in an intimate romantic relationship but is not married to that person.

de facto British  
/ deɪ ˈfæktəʊ /

adverb

  1. in fact

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

adjective

  1. existing in fact, whether legally recognized or not Compare de jure

    a de facto regime
"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

noun

  1. a de facto husband or wife

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
de facto Cultural  

  1. Something generally accepted or agreed to without any formal decision in its favor: “They never elected him; he became their leader de facto.” From Latin, meaning “in fact.” (Compare de jure.)

Etymology

Origin of de facto

First recorded in 1595–1605; from Latin dē factō literally, “from the fact”

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Since 2007, Hamas has controlled the Gaza Strip, where it has functioned both as a military force and a de facto government dispensing social services.

From Los Angeles Times

Dell pointed to SB 54’s de facto ban on polystyrene, which went into effect on Jan. 1, 2025.

From Los Angeles Times

Australia was a British colony for more than 100 years and gained de facto independence in 1901, but has never become a fully fledged republic.

From Barron's

“There’s a general conclusion today that there’s a de facto suspension of enrichment,” said Robert Einhorn, a former senior State Department official for nonproliferation issues and a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution.

From The Wall Street Journal

The RSF set up a parallel government last year, hardening the de facto division of the country.

From BBC

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.